typhon is a slim and themeable OpenGL-based frontend, dashboard, and program launcher. It's meant to be easily used on Linux HTPCs, but also works on standard desktops or as netbook launcher. It has picture support for background, icons, stencils, and preview pictures. There's also an optional auto-screenshot mode that creates a preview picture of the launched app after a user-configured time. It also has a built-in OpenGL ffmpeg video player, which can be used to video preview programs and emulators/ROMs or simply to watch some movies. The video and everything else can be rotated into any direction and the position can be saved. Everything can be configured by the user, including colors, whole color themes, font, font size (any TTF font will do), optional sound effects, optional 3d icons (using glut), and background and preview pictures. Already installed screensavers can also be used as backgrounds using compositing and transparency.

NuKit is a productivity and timesaving toolkit that provides a Launcher, Tweaker, Shortcuts, Window Mover, Advanced Calculator, Real Zoom, and Real Close. The Launcher is a multifunctional launch panel to open applications, Web sites, and search engines, run commands, perform calculations, and check the dictionary. Shortcuts lets you assign system wide shortcuts to any applications, Web sites, and files, and to execute system actions and scripts.

Launchy is a free cross-platform utility designed to replace your start menu, the icons on your desktop, and even your file manager. Launchy indexes the programs in your start menu and can launch your documents, project files, folders, and bookmarks with just a few keystrokes.

ginvoke is a programmable launcher for GNOME/GTK+ written with software developers in mind. It includes out-of-the-box support for launching executables and URLs via customizable commands which are specified in a user-customizable Python script ($HOME/.ginvokerc).